AnswerOld Town is the part of Key
West that most tourists visit. Duval St isthe main drag, and it’s
filled with bars, restaurants, and shops. DuvalSt terminates at
Mallory Square, the traditional place to watch the sunset.
Street performers and craft vendors hang out there at dusk
tokeep you
entertained.-----------------------------------------QuestionWhere
do you suggest we take the kids?

AnswerKey West is not really a
family vacation spot, but there are a fewthings underage people might
like. Old Town has a Ripley’s Believe it orNot Museum on Duval St near
Mallory Sq. On the other end of Duval,there’s a nifty Butterfly World
walk-through. If you like cats, you can seelots of them at Hemingway’s
House on Whitehead St. Several operators ofglass-bottomed boats have
kiosks where you can sign up for a trip anytime of the day. And
there’s the beach on the ocean side of town, ifyou all want to
just hang and
burn.------------------------------------------QuestionI hear
the prices of products and services are a lot more expensivein Key
West than the mainland. Is this true?

AnswerWhy are you
worrying about a few cents when you’re in the ConchRepublic? Instead
of comparing what things COST, compare how different thingsFEEL when
you're in Key West. Time, money, work . . . take a break andENJOY. Who
cares if you end up spending a few bucks more over thecourse of your
stay; you’re in Key West for God’s sake! (By the way, “conch”is
pronounced
“conck”.)--------------------------------------------------------QuestionIs
there really a place called Kokomo somewhere in the Florida
Keys?

AnswerHmmm . . . that’s new to me. That’s a Beach Boys
song, right? Why areyou listending to a bunch of Californians about
Florida? Jimmy Buffet,the self-proclaimed Bard of the Keys, is a more
accurate musicalreference. He has a shop on Duval called
Margaritaville, but it's strictly fortourists. If you ask me (and you
did), slow reggae captures the Conchlife the best. Slow down and enjoy
the moment. Dance to the music inyour head as the sun sets and you've
got as few clothes on as legallyallowed. Relax. And smile -- life is
good.------------------------------------------QuestionWhat’s
the best way to get to Key West?

AnswerThe fastest way is to
fly there from any Florida mainland airport. Themost scenic way is to
go by boat down from Miami; powerboats are themore practical vessel
because the Florida Bay is very shallow, but thechannels are clearly
marked to make sailing an option. The cheapest wayis to drive down by
US1 – it takes about 4 hours from Miami but it’s aneasy drive and you
can stop to shop and eat on the way.